GREECE. 
S23 
pitable reception of the diftrefTed exiles from Pliocis 
and Bceotia. It derived new confidcration from a ge¬ 
neral congrefs of ambalfadors from Sparta, Thebes, 
Macedon, Argos, Mefl'ene, and Arcadia, who, after tlie 
recent ftniggles for conquen: and independence, conde- 
feended to alfert their refpeftive claims before the Atlie- 
itian alfembly. 'I'iie Lacedteinonians reprefented the 
league', formed againtl themfelves, as alike dangerous 
to Athes'iS and to Sparta ; that the ambition of Pliilip 
w ould not refi; fatisfied with a partial conqueft ; his ima¬ 
gination grafped the dominion of Greece ; and now was 
the only time for the two leading republics, who had 
ever ntutually afHfted each other in feafons of ininrinent 
danger, to make a firm (land in defence of tiie public 
fafety. The Thebans, joined with the minifters of 
Philip, called loudly on the Athenians to adhere to 
their treaty of peace recently concluded with that 
prince ; and laboured with the utmofl affiduity to fepa- 
rate the views and interefts of Athens and Lacedaemon 
on this important emergency. 
The Athenian orators, many of them creatures of 
Philip, alfo exhorted their countrymen not to break too 
hazily with a prince with whom they Jiad fo recently 
concluded an alliance, nor imprudently renew a bloody 
and deftrudfive war, out of which they had been lately 
extricated with fo much difficulty. Demoflhenes, how. 
ever, pronounced a difeourfe, which the king of Mace¬ 
don is faid to have read with a mixture of terror and 
admiration. “ When you hear deferibed, O men of 
Athens! the continual hoflilities by which Philip vio¬ 
lates the peace, I obferve that you approve the equity 
and patriotifm of thofe who fupport the rights of the 
republic : but while nothing is done, on account of 
w'hich it is worth while to/liden to fitch fpeeches, our 
affairs are brought to fucii a pal's, that the more clearly 
we convict Philip of perfidy towards you, and of hoflile 
defigns againff Greece, the more difficult it is to pro- 
pofe any feafonable advice. The caufe of this difficulty 
is-, tliat the encroachments of ambition mufl be repelled, 
not by words, but by deeds. If fpeecbes and reafon- 
ing fufficed, we fltould long ere now have prevailed 
over our adverfary. But Philip excels in aftions as much 
as we do in arguments ; and both of us obtain the fupe- 
riority in what forms refpedtively tlie cltief objedl of 
our,dudy and concern; we in our alTemblies, Philip in 
the field. 
“ Immediately after tlie peace, tlie king of Macedon 
became mailer of Phocis and Tliermopylse, and made 
fuch an ule of tliefe acquifitions as fuited the interefl: of 
Thebes, not of Athens. Upon what principle did he 
aCt thus ? Beeaufe, governed in all his proceedings, 
rot by the love of jullice, but by an infatiable luff of 
power, he faw the impollibility of bending the Athe¬ 
nians to his felfllh and tyrannical purpofes. He knew 
that the loftinefs of rlieir charafter would never Hoop 
to private conliderations, but prefer to any advantage 
that he might olfer them, the didlates of juflice and ofj 
honour j and that ncitJier their penetration, nor their 
dignity, could ever defeend to facrifice to a partial and 
temporary interefl, the general I'afety of Greece ; but 
that they would fight for eacii member of the confede¬ 
racy with the fame ardour as for their own walls. The 
Thebans lie judged (and he judged aright) to be'more 
alfailable ; he knew their meannefs to be fuch, that pro¬ 
vided he heaped benefits on tliemfelves, they would af- 
fift him to eallave their neighbours. Upon the fame 
principle he now cultivates, in preference to yours, the 
iViendliiip of the Melfenians and Argives; a circum- 
ftance, Atlienians! wliieh highly redounds to your ho¬ 
nour, lince Philip thus declares his perl'ualion, that you 
alone have vvildom to underhand, and virtue to oppofe, 
his defigns ; that you forefee tlie drift of all his nego- 
ciatioas and wars, and are determined to be the incor¬ 
ruptible defenders of the common caufe. Hor is it 
without good grounds that he entertains fuch an ho- 
VoL.VllI. Ho. 556. 
noiirable opinion of yon, and the contrary of the The¬ 
bans and Argives. '\Vheii the liberties of Greece were 
threatened by Perfia, as they now are by Macedon, the 
Thebans bafely followed the handard of the invaders; 
the Argives did not oppofe their arms ; while tlie mag- 
nanimous patriots, from v.diom you are defeended, 
fpiirned ofi’ers, iiighly advantageous, made them by 
Alexander of Macedon, the ancchor of Philip, who 
ailed as the ambaffiidor of Perfia j and, preferring the 
public intereft to their ovvn, provoked the devaftation 
of their territory, and the deftrudlioivof their capital, 
and performed, in defence of Greece, thole unrivalled 
exploits of heroifm wliich can never be celebrated with 
due praife, nor obliterated from the annals of time. 
For Inch reafons, Philip choofes for his allies, Tliches, 
Argos, and Meliene, rather than A-then;! and Sparta. 
I'he former hates pohefs not greater hrengtli, wealth, 
fleets, harbours, and armies; they have not more power, 
but lei's virtue. Nor can Philip plead the merits of 
their caufe ; lince, if Chicromea and Orchomenus are 
juhly I'ubjedt to Thebes, Argos and Meliene are juhly 
fubjedl to Lacedaemon ; nor could it be equitable to 
enllave the inferior cities of Bceotia, and at the fame 
time to teach thofe of Peloponnefus to rebel. 
“ But Philip vv.as compelled to this condudl, as al¬ 
leged in his defence.—‘ Surrounded by the Theffiiliaii 
cavalry and Theban infantry, he was obliged to affih 
allies whom he dihruhed, and to concur with mealures 
which he difapproved. Hence the fevere treatment of 
Piiocis ; hence the cruel fervitude of Orchomenus and 
Ciiasronaea. The king of Macedon, being now at li¬ 
berty to confult the didlates of his own humanity and 
juhice, is defirous to re-eflablifh the republic of Phocis ; 
and, in order to bridle the infolence of Thebes, aCluaily 
meditates the fortifying of Elataea.'’—This, indeed, he 
meditates, and will meditate long. But, does he not 
meditate the dehriidlion of Laccdiemon ? For this pur- 
pofe he has remitted money, he has fent his mercenaries, 
lie is prepared, himfelf, to march at the head of a pow¬ 
erful army. His prefent tranl'adlions fufficiently explain 
the motives of his pah condudl. H is evident that he 
a(Sts from fyhem, and that his principal batteries are 
eretled againh Athens itfelf. How can it be otherwife ? 
He is ambitious to rule Greece ; you alone are able to 
thwart his meafures. He has long treated you unv/or- 
thily ; and he is confeiousof his injuhice. He is aftiu 
ally contriving your dehruftion, and he is fenfible that 
you fee through his defigns. For all thel'e reafons lie 
knows that you deteh him, and that Ihould he not,an¬ 
ticipate your hohility, hemuh fall a victim to your jull 
vengeance. Hence he is ever a6live and alert, watching 
a favourable moment of alFauli, and pratlifing on the 
hupidity and fclfilhnefs of the Thebans and Pelo- 
ponnelians ; for if they were not ihipid and blind, they 
might perceive the fatdl aim of the Macedonian policy. 
I once fpoke on this fubjecl before the Ivlelienians and 
Argives ; my difeourfe, which was ufelel's to them, 
may, perhaps, not unleafonably be repeated 10 you. 
“ Men of Argos and Meliene i you remember the lime 
wlien Piiilip careli'ed the Olynihians, as he now does 
you : how highly, do you think, that infatuated people 
would have been offended, had any man talked againh 
the benefailor, who had generoufly bellowed on them 
Anthemus and Potidaea ? Had any man warned them 
againh the dangerous artifices of Philip, would they 
have lihened to his advice ? Yet, after cnjoyiiig for a 
moment the territories of their neighbours, they were 
for ever defpoiled of their own. Inglorious v as their 
fall ; not conquered only, but betrayed ;ind fold by one 
another. Turn your eyes to the Tliellalians. When 
Philip expelled their tyrants, could the Theli'alians eyer 
conjecture that the fame prince would fubjedt them ;o 
the creatures of Macedon, hill more tyrannical and op. 
preffive ! "When he rehored them to their feat and fuf- 
I'rage in the Amphittyonic council, could they have 
II D bcew 
